Invertebrate pests and in particular insects, arachnids and nematodes destroy growing and harvested crops and attack wooden dwelling and commercial structures, thereby causing large economic loss to the food supply and to property. Accordingly, there is an ongoing need for pesticides and pesticidal mixtures for combating invertebrate pests.
It has been found that N-(het)arylamides derived from pyrazole carboxylic acids, which are described e.g. in WO2010/034737, WO2012/084670, WO2012/143317, and WO2015/055497 are particularly useful for combating pests.
Furthermore, pesticidal mixtures of such pyrazole compounds with a further insecticide or fungicide are described in WO2012/084670 and WO2013/189801.
Nevertheless, there remains a need for pesticidal mixtures, which are suitable for overcoming specific problems in pest control.
In this context, it is also important to note that pest infestation is often accompanied by infestation with harmful fungi, so that it is often not only required that the pesticidal mixtures are suitable for pest control, but also that they are suitable for controlling harmful fungi. In this regard, it is noted that row crops selected from wheat, maize, barley, oat, rye, rice, soybean, cotton, sugar-beet, rapeseed, and potato which are of particular commercial importance, are highly vulnerable in terms of the attack or infestation by certain invertebrate pests and pythopathogenic harmful fungi. Relevant invertebrate pests for the above row crops include aphids, diptera, leafhopper, thrips, and whitefly, preferably aphids and/or thrips. Important harmful fungi include Pythium sp., Fusarium sp., Rhizoctonia sp., Ustilago sp., Tilletia sp., Michrodochium sp., Gaeumannomyces graminis, Aphanomyces cochlioides, Sclerotinia sp., and Phoma sp., preferably Pythium sp., Fusarium sp., Ustilago sp., Tilletia sp., Michrodochium sp., Gaeumannomyces graminis, Aphanomyces cochlioides, Sclerotinia sp., and Phoma sp., more preferably Pythium sp., Fusarium sp., or Phoma sp. Consequently, a pesticidal mixture is required, which has insecticidal activity against the above listed pests, and at the same time fungicidal activity against the above listed fungi. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide pesticidal mixtures, which are suitable for protecting a plant selected from wheat, maize, barley, oat, rye, rice, soybean, cotton, sugarbeet, rapeseed, and potato against the harmful effects of the above listed pests and fungi.
Furthermore, there are increasing problems with insect resistance and/or fungal resistance, while it is at the same time desired to reduce dosage rates of the active ingredients in order to reduce or avoid unfavorable environmental or toxicological effects. It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide pesticidal mixtures, which overcome the problem of insect resistance and/or fungal resistance. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide pesticidal mixtures, which can be applied in low dosage rates.
Furthermore, there is a desire for pesticidal mixtures that improve “plant health” as defined below. It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide pesticidal mixtures, which are suitable for improving the plant health.
In connection with the above objects, it is emphasized that in certain situations, in particular seeds, plant roots, and shoots are threatened by harmful pests and/or fungi. Accordingly, there is also an ongoing need for pesticidal mixtures and seed treatment compositions comprising said pesticidal mixtures, which are suitable for protecting the plant propagation material, in particular the seeds, and the plant roots and shoots of the plant from attack and infestation by harmful pests and/or fungi. It is particularly desired to provide pesticidal mixtures and seed treatment compositions, which not only have activity against pests and/or fungi in the soil, which threaten the seeds and the roots of the plant, but which also ensure protection against foliar pests and/or fungi as defined above, when applied to the seeds only, e.g. by seed dressing, seed coating, seed dusting, seed soaking or seed pelleting, in order to protect the shoots of the plant. It is therefore another object of the present invention to provide pesticidal mixtures and seed treatment compositions, which are suitable for protecting the plant propagation material, in particular the seeds and the roots and shoots of a plant, in particular a plant selected from wheat, maize, barley, oat, rye, rice, soybean, cotton, sugarbeet, rapeseed, and potato, against the harmful effects of pests and/or fungi. In particular, it is an object to provide pesticidal mixtures and seed treatment compositions, which are suitable for protecting the shoots of a plant, in particular a plant selected from wheat, maize, barley, oat, rye, rice, soybean, cotton, sugarbeet, rapeseed, and potato, against harmful foliar pests and/or fungi as defined above, when applied to the seeds only.